The present invention relates to the field of aluminum boat hulls, and in particular to aluminum boat hulls configured to maximize stability and speed.
Concave bows, keels, strakes that extend longitudinally, off-sets or jack plates, and vee shaped hulls are not new to boats intended to be powered by outboard engines. However, each of these items is used in a separate, particular way.
For example, providing a keel on a boat is known to increase its tracking ability, but it is also known to provide drag and generally is considered to decrease speed. Therefore, few xe2x80x9cperformancexe2x80x9d or high speed boats have keels.
Strakes are normally used for two reasons, namely to increase the strength of a boat bottom, and when disposed with one strake surface parallel to the water surface, to give lift. In aluminum boats, in particular, strakes are generally tapered at the rear end so that they do not prevent bow lift, or if not tapered at the rear end, then the transom is formed with a tapered corner to insure some lift, but this increases so called xe2x80x9cdraftxe2x80x9d.
xe2x80x9cSet-backsxe2x80x9d are somewhat common for performance bass boats with so-called pad hulls. Pad hulls have narrow (8-14 inches), centrally located, longitudinal bottom surfaces that are substantially flat (i.e. flat or only slightly xe2x80x9cveedxe2x80x9d or concaved) as part of a configuration with multiple stepped flat surfaces running all or most of the length of the hull. The central flats in such hulls generally extend at least 6 feet or more forward of the stern, effectively forming the bottom step in a stepped hull. While such flats provide a minimum water contact surface area to enhance the boat speed, the length of such flattened bottom surfaces in a stepped hull tends to interfere with other performance characteristics in boat hulls having this configuration.
Vee hulls are common in outboard motor boats because they are known for their softer ride and xe2x80x9crough waterxe2x80x9d abilities. However, except for boats incorporating my inventive concepts, aluminum vee shaped hulls with performance characteristics that approach fiberglass, are not known to the outboard motor boat market.
The high speed (rather than custom hand crafted) production of a performance vee hull heretofore generally relied on molded fiberglass or sophisticated aluminum xe2x80x9cstretch formingxe2x80x9d techniques. Molding of a hull with fiberglass is a manual operation including applying layers of fiberglass into a mold of any desired configuration and such application takes extended periods of time and presents numerous environmental problems. Stretch forming limits elongated variations such as strake length and causes thick and thin spots.
Thus, the conventional wisdom recognized that keels provide drag, strakes either are tapered at the back or the hull has xe2x80x9ccut cornersxe2x80x9d, jack-plates on vee hulls commonly sit far back (not 4-8 inches), concave bows are for pad boats (not for severe 15 degrees or more vees), and normal aluminum production techniques are not suited to economically provide a performance vee. The ability to provide a high speed, stable, aluminum boat hull, adapted for reception of an outboard motor, using less expensive production techniques was sought by those skilled in the art without success until the development of the hull described herein having a concave bow, elongated parallel strakes, a central keel, an offset motor mount and a deep vee configuration extending over a major portion of the length of the hull. Yet, to maintain the stability and handling afforded by this configuration while increasing the speed would even further enhance the commercial attractiveness of such a design.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a performance vee shaped hull that can be made with conventional aluminum manufacturing techniques on a relatively economical basis, using the lift of a concave bow, the off-setting xe2x80x9chold downxe2x80x9d of strakes, the tracking and drag of a keel and, preferably, an integrally formed, limited, off-set motor mount, modified by incorporating a relatively short, triangular, substantially flat pad at the stern between the innermost strakes to provide increased lift at high speeds without detracting from the remaining high performance properties of this hull design.
The hull of the present invention can be used in a so-called xe2x80x9cbass boatxe2x80x9d arrangement or a xe2x80x9cbay boatxe2x80x9d arrangement. In a standard 19 foot long configuration, with a 66 inch wide bottom, the boat hull of the present invention, even without the triangular pad, can run between 53 and 60 miles per hour when powered by a stock 115 horsepower engine, and will handle turns and rough water beyond expectations. When the triangular pad is added to the hull bottom, the speed can be increased without damaging the handling characteristics of such a hull. This design adapts the boat to easily handle 150 to 200 horsepower engines, bringing the top speeds into competitive range. Thus, the substantially flat triangular pad provides lift, increasing speed, while the central strakes act as stabilizers on either side of the pad and the deep vee hull tends to cut through the waves when the boat is running slow.
In its preferred configuration, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vee shaped aluminum hull having a central keel, with strakes extending from the bow to the stern of the hull, a set back section for supporting an outboard motor, and a triangular flat pad of limited length intermediate the innermost strakes at the stern of the boat.
These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.